Tejashwi Yadav vows to continue fight for the poorer section of society

Just after Lalu Yadav was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail, Tejashwi Yadav vowed to go to public with his father's message and continue to fight for the cause of the poorer section of society, reported News18.

Addressing the media after holding meeting with all MLAs, MPs and senior leaders of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Tejashwi accused Narendra Modi government at the Centre and state's chief minister Nitish Kumar of conspiring to frame charges against his family to wipe out opposition from the state.

17:30 (IST)

Congress reacts to the verdict, says alliance with RJD and not individuals

Congress has always waged war against corruption. As far as the alliance is concerned, it is with RJD and not particular individuals: RPN Singh, Congress #FodderScampic.twitter.com/oG7tYZFz2W

Lalu Prasad Yadav gets 3.5 years in jail and his just desserts for betraying the trust of social underdogs

In a curious coincidence, Bihar strongman Lalu Prasad is getting his comeuppance—3.5 years of jail sentence and Rs 5 lakh fine for corruption—in the very week that Parliament is grappling with the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill or the triple talaq bill in popular parlance. The two matters would seem unrelated but are in fact deeply interconnected.

Lalu represents the best and worst of Indian politics. Here is a son of the soil who rose from a khatal (shed for cows and buffalos) to the pinnacle of power in Bihar. His saga has run concurrently with twists and turns of Indian democracy over the last quarter of a century or so.

Ahead of sentencing, RJD held a press conference. Party leader Tejashwi Yadav said that BJP and Nitish Kumar are playing negative politics. He also said that people who were creating an atmosphere to scare him can see now that he will neither be scared nor turn away from him ideology.

16:14 (IST)

Judge reaches courtroom

The Indian Express reported that the judge has now reached the courtroom and is likely to pronounce the sentence shortly.

The case is regarding large-scale embezzlement of government funds, made by producing fake bills to substantiate payments that were never made. The scam took its name from the fact that it was rooted in the Animal and Husbandry department of Bihar government and the fraudulent transactions were made in the name of procuring cattle feed over a period of 20 years, under successive regimes.

It was first sniffed out in 1985 by the then CAG TN Chaturvedi, who noticed that monthly accounts submission from Bihar treasury were always delayed.

14:40 (IST)

RJD to discuss party strategy in the wake of sentencing

Top RJD leaders are likely to attend the emergency meet called by Rabri Devi to discuss individual roles of leaders in the likely absence of Lalu Prasad, The Indian Express reported. Sources cited in the report said Tejashwi Yadav would also read out a letter from the RJD chief, asking the party leaders to stay calm and united.

A special CBI court is likely to announce the quantum of punishment for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav in decade-old fodder scam at 2 pm on Saturday, reports said. The special court had on Friday deferred the sentencing of Lalu Prasad Yadav till Saturday in a decades' old case relating to the notorious multi-million-rupees fodder scam, for the third day in a row.

File image of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. PTI

The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago. The sentence will be pronounced via video conferencing even as Lalu had assured the court on Thursday that he was ready to appear in person. He had also assured the special CBI court judge Shiv Pal Singh that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters.

According to lawyers, Lalu can be awarded three to seven years' punishment. If he gets three years' term, he would get bail soon after sentencing. However, the RJD chief on Friday moved an application before the court seeking minimum sentencing citing his poor health condition. In his application, Lalu reportedly said that "the Birsa Munda jail (where he is currently lodged) did not have clean drinking water and this may affect his kidneys. He also added that the jail did not have any super medical facilities".

Earlier, on Thursday's proceedings, Lalu had told the judge that he found it "very cold" in prison. Judge Singh, hearing the case, was quick to reply, "Then, play tabla (musical instrument)".

The special CBI court had on 23 December pronounced Lalu and 15 others guilty of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar treasury 21 years ago when he was the chief minister of the Bihar. Six others, including Congress leader Jagannath Mishra, were acquitted in the case.

The quantum of punishment was to be announced on 3 January, but it was postponed due to a condolence meeting held that day to mourn the death of two lawyers, a CBI advocate had told The Times of India.

The death of advocate Vindheshwari Prasad, also led to changes in the schedule of the court's proceedings, as an association of advocates abstained from work as a mark of respect.

The quantum of punishment for Lalu deferred again on Thursday, though the judge had heard arguments to decide the quantum of punishment. On Friday, judge Singh reserved the sentencing for Lalu for the third consecutive day.

On 30 September, 2013, Lalu, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. The latest conviction is the second in the scam.

Lalu faces three additional fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda treasury.